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 It was Christmas Eve 1866 and Edward Wager had spent the morning in the pub at Hassop.
He arrived home at Bleaklow Farm near Great Longstone in a very aggressive mood. Wager, 36 years old, was a short-tempered and violent man. Today he was annoyed to find a neighbour, Alice Hancock, at home with his wife Harriett.
Harriett had often felt Wager’s fists and she ran outside to get out of his way. He set off after her and Alice last saw him chasing Harriett across the fields. She was screaming ‘Murder!’ He was yelling that he would kill her if she didn’t come back.
The scene was watched by their son, Benjamin, who lost sight of his mother as she drew close to the Deep Rake lead mine.
At dusk a lead miner spotted Harriett Wager’s lifeless body in the dam. Three months later Edward Wager was tried for her murder and sentenced to death.
Read on for details of the trial...
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